Car-coupling



2 N 0 M P B w A0 H A 0 L Patented Sept. 9, 1890.

' INVENTUR 2 t e e h S W e e h s 2 N m u P. BU m E A 0 R m d o M 0 W Patented Sept. 9, 1890.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

FREDERICK L. HABLISTON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

CAR-COU PLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,067, dated September 9, 1890.

Application filed June 7, 1890. Serial No. 354,602. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. HABLIS- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Automatic Car-Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to automatic carcouplings; and it has for its general object to adapt cars to couple themselves when they come together after the couplings have been properly arranged, and to be readily uncoupled by a person at either side or on top of the cars, all without danger to the person j and more in detail its object is to provide means for setting and holding the common link at such an angle of elevation as will enable it to enter the approaching draw-head; means for automatically engaging and holding an incoming link without the aid of any person; means for automatically taking in the slack of the link; means for retaining the link when by any chance it fails to fully enter the head; means for disengaging the link by a person at either side or on top of the car, and means to permit the link-catch to be operated independently of the lifting-levers.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, forming an automatic car-coupling hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 is an end View, of a portion of a car, showing my invention. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical section of a draw-head, showing my coupling as in service. Fig. 4: is also a longitudinal vertical section of a draw-head, but it shows the parts in the act of being coupled. Fig. 5 is an edgewise View of the couplinglatch. Fig. 6 is a side view of a draw-head, partly broken away to show the link as held to enter a higher draw-head. Fig. 7 is a top View of a draw-head. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal vertical section of a draw-head, showing the latch as held raised. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 10 is an end view of a draw-head, showing a modification of my invention.

a represents a car, Z) a common link, and c a draw-head having the usual pin-hole cl and having a slot vertically through it to admit my latch e. I further provide the draw-head with a cavity f in thelower side of the throat to receive the rear end of the link, so that when resting on the shoulder 9 forward of the cavity and held down at its rear end by the latch the link may beset at any angle of elevation required to enter a higher drawhead. To set the free end of the link level or to sag down to enter a lower draw-head is also easy by permitting it to project more over the front edge 71.. The latch eis pivoted to the draw-head at i and the pivot-hole is so large as to permit the latch to rest when pulled forward in service against the shoulder j rather than on the pin '5. k is a shoulder of the latch adapted'to catch and hold an entering link which may have been cramped so as not to enter fully at first. I make the lower rearward side Z of the latch curved on an are not concentric with the pivot i, but so as to wedge rearward and draw the link gradually back to place by its gravity when jarred by the motion of the cars. The rear side of the latch may be vertical, as shown in Fig. 3, or it may be a continuation of the wedging-curve Z, as shown in Fig. 9. In either case the wedging-curve acts upon the inner end of alink into which it has fallen to wedge the link fully back to its place.

The latch e is provided with a laterallyprojecting stud Z, which engages a slot in a rod m, that connects with one arm n of an elbow-lever which is secured rigidly upon a rod 0, that is journaled in bearingsp upon the end' of the car. This rod is provided with hand-levers q, where they may be reached by a person at the side of the car'without his going into danger between the cars. To the end of the arm 'r of the aforesaid elbow-lever is attached a rod 3, extending to the top of the car. I may provide each draw-head with a ledge 25 in the rear of the latch and above the level of the bottom of the mouth h, upon which ledge the rear end of the link may be placed, while the forward portion rests upon the bottom of the mouth at h to enter the free end into a lower draw-head.

The operation is as follows: If the approaching draw-head is higher than the one in which the link is to be set, the rear end of the link may be depressed more or less into the cavity f, and the latch resting on the rear end will hold the forward end raised, and when the draw-heads come together the link will push both latches back until they fall within it and the coupling is completed. If the approaching draw-head is the lowest, the link may rest upon the shoulder and the edge 7b of the mou th. \Vhen the latch is pushed back by an incoming link, its stud Z is free to slide forward in the slot in rod m without affecting the operating-lever n '2"; but when it is desired to uncouple the cars the draft will be slackened to leave the couplings loose. Then either by raising the hand-lever q or the rod 8 the arm n and its connecting-rod m will be thrust forward and the latch will be raised, as shown in Fig. 8, leaving the link free to be withdrawn. The great advantage of a simple and efiective automatic car-coupling as a saver of life and property is too obvious to require further demonstration.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. The combination of adraw-head having a vertical slot in it and a latch having the curved wedge shape on its lower rear side, and, further, having adownward projection forming a shoulder 7.: forward of the said wedgingcurve, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of a vertically-slotted draw-head, a rearwardly-wedging latch hung therein, a rod having levers at its ends journaled across the end of the car and having an elbow-lever secured midway upon it, a slotted rod connecting the downward arm of the said lever with a stud upon the said latch, and a hand-rod extending from the horizontal arm of the said elbow-lever to within reach from the top of the car, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of a draw-head having an open mouth and throat and a ledge t at the rear end of the throat higher than the bottom of the mouth, and alatch adapted to hold the rear end of a link upon the said ledge, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK L. IIA'BLICTON.

. lVitnesses:

I). E. TAYLOR, J NO. T. BUTLER, Jr. 

